Christians and Tattoos

Well this hit me personally and I wanted to point it out.

Dan Kimball, "A very Cool Website about Tattoos" where he mentions the new site Sacred Ink, dedicated to Christians and the art of Tattoo.

Being a fan myself of ink and all things related, including the shows Miami Ink on TLC and Inked on A&E, I think it's great to really put the ink where the faith is, so to speak.

The photo here is my personal ink (sorry we really need to take a better photo)...left shoulder...about 3 inches in diameter...I got it last fall after several months of being out-of-church. I have wanted a tatt all my adult life, but my religious mindset and the company I kept in the church prohibited me from ever obtaining it. Since I left the church, the tatt certainly was an expression of freedom from religious rules and in some ways also an act of rebellion...not against the church but against my own lifetime of self-inflicted "righteousness standards".

I wanted #1 above all to never be able to forget to Whom I belong, and also as evidence to others about my faith...it's a great converstation starter...interestingly enough many people will approach someone about their tattoos before anything else, and it gives me a great excuse to share my faith and to prove that not all "christian types" are stuffy and conservative. And it's a testimony to my certainty about my faith that I would be willing to be permanently "marked" for Christ. Though my measly little ink is nothing compared to the friend of ours who has a cross tattooed the full size of his back.

It's a butterfly...it's absolutely beautiful and I adore it...symbolizing both the resurrection of Christ, and my rebirth as a follower of Christ, and also the ongoing transformation of my life...including seasons of transition. It includes the elements of fire, wind and water...for the symbolic manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. It references Psalm 104 simply because I love the thought that all creation responds to God and relates to Him, and He provides for and protects everything He has made.

I am a late bloomer, inkwise, but this is only the beginning for me. I'm a tattoo baby compared to some people I know. I do have several more ideas waiting in the wings...just a matter of finding the time and the $$ to proceed.

Anyone else (you know who you are *wink*) want to share their ink and the stories behind them? If you want you can send me photos and stories to post and I'll put them up.